MSE way to learn French?

Paparika

I'd like to hear what people do to learn a new language on the cheap.

I have very basic French, although i did learn to ask the barman same again please :beer:.

But my parents have moved to France now, and if i want to see them i'll have to go to them, thats not a problem it means a cheap holiday a year for me and my DS

£150.00 for me the OH and my DS for a ferry at Christmas all booked and payed for :T.

But i'd like to broaden my French to more than a muttered thank you, but also skint as we all are suffering the pinch, any hints tips etc?

elona

You could post a "wanted " on freecycle for French language dvd etc?

littleredhen

last year before going to france i borrowed a kind of linguaphone french cd from our local library and bought a Berlitz french phrase book and dictionary - this year i did
i did the bbc course
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/

having said that the french were lovely and everywhere we went we were made welcome with a "Bonjour" and c'est combien and merci and au reviour - we only asked a couple of time "parlez vous anglais" and got non in reply but we managed - everyone really appreciated our efforts and usually told us how much in english

Keeping_Motivated

I'll be watching this thread coz I'd lurrvv to be able to speak french. I know the basics that I learnt at school but thats it

Je voudrais pouvoir parler français
Here is a good site that translates words and further down the page it translates sentences.

http://searchenginez.com/translate_words.html

KM x

littleredhen

this is another good translation site
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

Tashja

I have just contacted my loal college to do AS Level French. I already have and have passed my French GCSE.

They have told me that the AS Level French is free so it might be worth googling your local colleges and making some calls. Also Learn Direct do french courses for free if you areon certain benefits.

Hope this helps.

Bonne Chance !!!

T xx

icka

Hi guys fantastic language website called

Livemocha.com. Its totally free and a fantastic way to learn a language. Best I have seen.

Im learning French at the mo. Find it brilliant.

Give it a look .

Hope this helps

Icka

xx

thriftlady_2

littleredhen wrote: »

this is another good translation site
http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

Please don't rely on Babelfish for accurate translation -it is really really bad. Sorry, I don't mean to criticise Littleredhen but it is terrible.

I've just finished a year long level one course in French at my local college of technology. Hopefully there will be enough students for me to carry on to level 2 in September. Level 1 was aimed at people who have studied French at some level before. The course was 2 hours for 30 weeks and we covered all the basics for holiday situations as well as some grammar. We were assessed along the way. It was great fun and our teacher was excellent. She was French so that really helped. The course cost about £150.

Princess_Jane

My fellas parents have also moved to France and I've been downloading free French lessons to my ipod from itunes.

I listen to them on the way to work.

aliette

Our local library has lots of French DVD, teaching packs (not sure what they're called, with a booklet and a CD or a DVD).
You could also check the Bristol Alliance Francaise:
http://www.afbristol.org.uk/home.php
Or take a look at the Cercle Francais:
http://www.alliancefrancaiselondon.co.uk/events/bristol.htm
The French courses are probably expensive but usually, they have an area with French magazines which you can read for free, and there might be free events you can go to. You could put an ad to trade French conversation for English conversation.
You can also listen to some TV programmes on the net, as well as some radio programmes.
Radio France Internationale is very good as well.

Here, we have a French speaking toddler group, it might worth asking the Alliance Francaise if there is one. It's fairly cheap (£1 a week)

hth

Penny_Watcher

thriftlady wrote: »

Please don't rely on Babelfish for accurate translation -it is really really bad.

I used to use Babelfish when I first started working at the English end of a German company. My faxes caused so much hilarity in Germany that they sent me lovely box of German goodies at Christmas as a thank you.